Three Mississauga transit projects receive $675M in funding
Mississauga’s public transit infrastructure received a massive shot in the arm.
The municipal, provincial and federal governments announced more than $675 million in combined funding to support three major projects to improve transit in the city.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among those on hand to make the announcement on March 4.
"Today's investments will make Mississauga an even better place to live and work by helping Canadians get where they need to be in cleaner, faster, and more affordable ways,” he said.
Specifically, the governments have allocated neatly $216 million to the purchase of 358 new hybrid buses through the Mississauga Bus Replacement Program. The hybrid buses will replace existing diesel vehicles, cut pollution, and improve the quality and reliability of transit in the city.
A further $183 million has been earmarked to design and build a new rapid transit bus corridor along Dundas Street, from Confederation Parkway to the Etobicoke Creek, to increase access to public and active transportation infrastructure. The addition of the corridor is expected to save commuters an estimated six to 17 minutes per trip.
Finally, $7.6 million will be spent on upgrading Mississauga’s bus corridors, including by building priority bus lanes at intersections to reduce traffic and commute times.
"These investments will significantly strengthen our local transit system while helping us reach our climate targets,” said Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “Funding to build rapid bus transit along Dundas Street, in particular, will make it easier for residents to travel to and from Mississauga and is critical for regional economic growth and recovery. The Dundas BRT will further strengthen our east to west connections, reducing travel times and connecting people to more job opportunities and businesses to more customers."
The federal government is investing more than $271 million in the projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The program provides provinces, territories and municipalities with funding to address the new construction, expansion, and improvement and rehabilitation of public transit infrastructure, and active transportation projects.
The Government of Ontario is contributing over $225 million, and the City of Mississauga is providing more than $180 million.